We Go On Pretending
by Iscariotxx
Summary: Marinette is in her final year of Lycée and the superhero duo has kept the city of Paris safe for years now. Hawkmoth, frustrated, has unleashed an onslaught of akumas - and this time he may have just found the perfect victim - someone who will have our lovebirds wondering, 'how long can we go on pretending stories like ours have happy endings'
1. Chapter One

"Bye bye, little butterfly."

Sure, she loved things like fresh croissants first thing in the morning or achieving a new high score in her favorite video game, but nothing was as satisfying as watching that pure butterfly be free. Her sight lingered on the retreating insect until that all too familiar 'blip, blip, blip' sounded warningly in her ear. Turning to her partner she saluted him cheekily, "Looks like he's not the only one who's gotta fly. Until next time."

"I look forward to it, m'lady."

With that, the two protector's of Paris made their exits and once again, all was well. The now calm streets of the city were safe, peaceful - as they should be. Marinette reflected as she walked back to her home above the Patisserie her parents owned. In the grand scheme of things, it hadn't been so long ago since Tikki had come into her life, since she had become Ladybug. Even so, it still felt like a lifetime ago since she had just been a normal girl. She had just started her final year of lycée, after all, which meant she had been saving the city on a regular basis for a few years. She was so proud of that. But how nice it would be to be just Marinette for a day. She laughed lightly to herself at the thought. Just Marinette. How strange it would be to go back. Less stressful, yes - but better? Probably not. Though she had once had her doubts as to how well she would perform as a superhero, Marinette had to admit she impressed even herself. Becoming Ladybug had given her a boost of confidence and had brought out qualities in herself that she had never even thought to consider before. Sure, she was not exactly perfect, but she was proud of the person, and superhero, she had become.

Through the door, up the stairs. Marinette lifted her purse strap off of her shoulder and up over her head, undoing the clasp in one swift, practiced movement. The exhausted Tikki took her repreave on the desk, munching contentedly on a cookie to replenish herself. It was routine by now, it was normal. Marinette sought out her pajamas, slipping into them she turned to look up at her bed considering it for a moment. Though she was physically tired her mind was anything but. She made her way out to the balcony instead, rubbing at her arms slightly as she came out into the cool night air.

Though this life had become normal, it didn't mean that it wasn't concerning. People were being akumatized with increasing frequency in recent weeks, the onslaught manageable but worrying. Mix that in with the fact that they were no closer to identifying Hawkmoth and it was a combination that could prove deadly. Marinette thanked all of their lucky stars that, with everything, civilian injuries had been few and far between. How long could that last though? Especially if Hawkmoth continued this aggressive streak? She shuddered at the thought. Glancing back towards her room, she frowned slightly. Though she would never give up being Ladybug for anything, she did wish that, sometimes, she could really just be a normal girl. Someone who wasn't tired all of the time, someone who wasn't late to everything because she was off saving the city yet again. So her friends didn't worry about her, so she could stop lying to her parents. As much as Marinette had come to care for Tikki, what she wouldn't give for just one day without some kind of life and death lecture. As much as it pained her to say it, Marinette missed the days of Chloe being her biggest problem.

Lost in thought, Marinette let her head fall back to stare up at the sky, the city of light was too bright, she couldn't make out many stars even though the dark expanse above her was cloudless. She laughed lightly in spite of herself once again, reaching up to undo her pigtails as she turned on her heel back towards her room. Marinette stopped at her desk, gently smiling at the now snoozing Tikki. "Goodnight Tikki."

Covering her gently with a piece of fabric from a designing project she had started months ago, but had never quite found the time to complete, her blue eyes sought out the row of frames sat out in grand display. Marinette couldn't help but smile back at the faces of those she loved most: Her parents, Alya and Nino, the girls from school, and Adrien. How close they had all become. The years had made it easier, had eased her awkwardness. Perhaps it was simply age as well. Marinette reached for a picture of them both but stopped short. Even if her feelings ran just as deep, how could she maintain any sort of relationship with her duties as Ladybug? She recoiled, her hand balling into a fist as she turned away. No, even if she cared for Adrien and even if there was any sort of chance he might care for her, it had to be this way. Adrien would be safer, he would be happier. Shaking the thought from her head and suppressing the tears that threatened from the corners of her eyes, she climbed the ladder up to her loft and laid down. Though her mind still wandered about those sad thoughts, her bed was warm and inviting. It wasn't long before she had drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

X X X X X X

Hey Guys! I hope you enjoyed my little prologue! This is my first time uploading to a fanfiction site so I'm kind of excited (and a bit rusty at writing ). I've got a good sized story planned, twists and turns, a reveal or two, and plenty of angsty and sometimes mushy romance. Please enjoy!


	2. Chapter Two

"I look forward to it, m'lady."

The ring on his finger began to warn him of his pending transformation, but Chat Noir stood still for a moment, watching the retreating form of his partner for as long as she was still in sight. He was every bit in awe of her now as he was the very first time he had ever laid eyes on her. With a smirk he mounted to the sky, moving swiftly across the rooftops, racing the clock, landing upon his balcony just as the faint glow over took his form. He was Adrien once again.

Slipping in through his window, Plagg following and complaining all the while about his rumbling stomach. Adrien stretched and winced, trying to tend to his sore muscles and his various injuries. With every day seemingly bringing a new villain or two it left absolutely no time to recover, let alone anything else. Lifting up his shirt he examined the large bruise across his rib cage where he had been slammed into yet again. His exhaustion was leading him to be slower, less precise. He gingerly touched the older parts of the bruise, they had turned a sickly green sort of yellow, but at least they looked like they were healing. Turning his attention instead to the new angry purple splotch he pressed and gritted his teeth. It wasn't bad. Well, too bad. He would be fine, he just had to be careful and take it easy.

"You should tell her."

Adrien quickly lowered his shirt and turned to his Kwami who had spoken through a mouthful of cheese. "I can't do that."

He turned away, knowing all too well the look on Plagg's face. More often than not, the small cat like creature was light-hearted and jovial, but as of late he had found himself a serious streak. "She needs to know."

Trying to ignore him, Adrien sat at his desk across the room, opening his notes and school books. Though he read the words upon the page he couldn't comprehend them. After a moment or two he slammed his fist against the desk top, "She needs to know what? That I'm weak? That I can't handle what we're up against?" He pushed aside the books angrily, throwing the pencil with it, "No. I can't tell her. I'll be fine."

Plagg shook his head, "Suit yourself." He stuffed the last bit of cheese into her mouth, "You should get some rest though, even if you won't take my other advice."

The kwami shrugged and made off to his corner of the room knowing all too well that there was nothing more that he could say that Adrien would actually listen to or take to heart. Not turning around, the young man stared down at the desktop, clenching his fists. Eventually he left his chair, moving out into the cool night air on his balcony yet again. Even if the fresh air didn't solve everything, at least he didn't feel quite so stifled.

Telling Ladybug he was burning his candle at both ends was out of the question. Not only would it hurt his pride but his partner needed to know she could count on him. That she could trust him to do the dirty work and how could she if there was even the slightest doubt in her mind? After all, he was destruction and she was creation, right? There was no sense allowing his lady to put herself in anymore danger than necessary. He couldn't and wouldn't allow it. He loved her. Adrien wasn't sure if she fully understood just how much. He adored her brilliance, her courage, her determination. She was absolutely everything and more, if he ever let any harm come to her - we'll, he didn't even want to entertain the idea. No, if either of them had to suffer, it should be him and him alone. He was used to it, suffering alone in silence. He had mourned his Mother's death* alone. He had suffered through his Father's neglect alone. If he could survive all of that, surely he could survive this.

Adrien inhaled deeply, leaning upon the railing and looking out over the city, even if he really didn't see any of it. For the moment, all he could see was her. His Lady. There was no place he would rather be than by her side. Even if she rebuffed his affection or didn't think it was genuine. Even if she found another - because, surely, the young woman beneath the mask had her own friends, her own romances. How could she not with who she was? He rubbed at the back of his neck, not wanting to entertain the likelihood of Ladybug caring for someone else - who was he to come in between that? But how fitting it would be, he thought darkly to himself, to suffer in silence for this as well.

Moving away from these thoughts he began to wonder about the person he longed for. It was still a mystery who she really was. They had been so good at making sure to maintain complete secrecy, even if it killed him. Curiosity killed the cat after all. Even after all this time and even after all of the close shaves, he still hadn't the faintest inkling as to Ladybug's identity. He imagined what she might look like, where she might live, what she might like to do. He wondered if her true identity stared him right in the face and he was too blind to see. Though, would knowing the other's identity make anything better? Adrien couldn't help but argue, ' yes.'

"What I wouldn't give to put an end to this charade..."

Even so, he would never go against his Lady's wishes. If she wanted their identities to remain secret, a secret they would remain. Adrien could never have enough time to speculate who is partner really was, but there were appearances to keep. He put his imagination to rest and climbed back through the window, returning to his abandoned studies on the desk. Taking a seat, he threw one glance towards the now snoring Kwami. Deep down he knew Plagg was right, he needed to rest, but there were too many things to be done. He had survived on a mere hour or two of sleep before, why would tonight be any different?

X

Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this second installment! The next Chapter will be Hawkmoth and our Akumatized victim - I think you'll really enjoy it! I'm still figuring out the formatting here (it keeps cutting out spaces and some punctuation ToT) but I'm learning, I promise! I hope to have the next chapter up late tonight or early tomorrow morning - until next time!

*EDIT: Yes, I know, Adrien's Mother is missing not dead. But for the sake of this alternate universe and this story and it's sequel (in the works), we'll assume enough time has passed that they have accepted she's probably dead.


	3. Chapter Three

"Doctor Navarre, I'm sorry, but I have to inform you the board has decided to terminate your contract with our practice, effective immediately."

The doctor was floored but managed to stammer, "On w-what grounds...?"

"The board just feels that your methods..."

"My methods have helped a great many people! And have an extremely high success rate, if I may add. And it isn't like hypnotherapy is anything..."

"Doctor, you have lost half of your patients to other practices and a good many more have complained..."

"My job is to help people realize and remove the obstacles between them and their repressed desires - it isn't my fault if they don't actually _like_ what they want! You can't do this!"

"I'm sorry, our decision is final. Our security will collect your things, you may pick them up tomorrow at the front desk. We wish you well."

"You... y-you can't do this..."

Hawkmoth could feel the anger and hurt swell inside this man, this Doctor. Well, well, what an opportunity. His lips stretched into a smug grin as he spoke to his new victim, _"They just don't understand you do they? They don't understand how important your work is - but I do. I can grant you the power to help everyone in the city realize what they truly want - would you like that?"_

The Doctor's sight blurred out of focus, a faint magenta glow obscuring his peripheral, "Yes." He whispered definitively.

 _"All I ask in return is but a small favor."_

"Anything."

 _"Bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses!"_

"Anything."

 _"Now go out into Paris, Hypno, go and remove the city's fear to act out their repressed desires!"_

Hypno exited the office a different man than he had entered. His white coat was now marked with sinister swirling black. The swirls moved of their own volition, mesmerizing to anyone around them. In his hand he held a glowing gold pocket watch. Those he came across stopped at the sight of him, transfixed, as he hypnotized then with his pendulum. One man stopped everything and began to dance, another two began to passionately kiss, yet another turned to her husband and asked for a divorce. The city slowly but surely became distracted and chaotic, consumed with doing exactly what they wanted to do but for one reason or another had not dared.

"Be free Paris! Let go of your inhibitions!"

Though many desires were innocent, a great many more were not. If that was what they wanted, then so be it, his job was merely to set them free - not save them. No one should have to hide or be denied what they truly want. He stopped a man before him yet again, swinging his watch, "Be free, my boy, be free and do what you may."

Hawkmoth watched the insanity with pleasure. Surely Ladybug and Chat Noir would make their appearance shortly. Almost on cue, an explosion made all of Paris thunder to its knees. The students hit the ground of their classroom in terror, hiding beneath their desks. That had sounded far too close for comfort. Marinette clutched her purse instinctively, trying to figure out a way to escape the classroom and assess the danger. As the shock wore off of her fellow students she didn't need to wait long for her opportunity, "Everyone to the gym!" Mme. Bustier instructed her students, an evident tremor in her voice. Once the classroom was empty, Marinette stood and collected herself, "Marinette, that sounded really bad..."

"I know. Tikki, spots on!"

X X X

Adrien awoke with a start at the sudden explosion. His head shot up from his desk, "W-what? What happened?"

"You slept in."

"Wait, what!? What time is it?" Adrien groaned as he glanced at his clock realizing school had started well over an hour ago - why hadn't anyone woke him?

"Doesn't matter now - you needed the sleep - but look."

Plagg pointed out of the large window at the smoke billowing up above the skyline. Adrien exhaled deeply, steadying himself for yet another day of battle. "No rest for the wicked, I suppose."

"No rest for us either..." Plagg added bitterly.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Even with the boost from the miraculous, Adrien's body ached. Ignoring the pain, he leapt from his balcony, and descended into the city. Everything was chaos, there were grown adults acting like children, there was even a man running stark naked through the streets. There were people professing their love and others confessing their betrayals. People were barking, others cutting their hair. Paris had given way to insanity. Now, where was Ladybug, and where was this latest baddie?

Chat stopped to watch a woman spray painting the windows of a department store. What was happening?

"Hello, Chat Noir, we meet at last."

Turning to set his sights on the enemy du jour, he crossed his arms with a smirk, playfully cocking his head to one side, "And what are you supposed to be? Some kind of trippy zebra?"

"That's it, look right here, Chat Noir." With that, he released the watch to swing down. Chat stood transfixed. He had the perfect comeback or two, but his tongue did not obey. _What's going on? Why can't I speak!?_

"Yes, good. What is it you desire, Chat Noir? What is it that you truly want but would never allow yourself to have? I'm setting you free, Chat Noir. Free to do as you wish."

Hawkmoth watched the interaction closely, a moment of greedy hope finding its way into his thoughts. Perhaps this would be the one. Perhaps, soon, he would finally have possession of the miraculouses, once and for all.

The watch continued to swing like a pendulum and though Chat Noir tried desperately to look or move away he could nothing to stop what had already started. It was too late. But what was this koot going on about? His desire? His greatest desire was to catch and defeat Hawkmoth - wasn't it? How would that help this guy get his miraculous? Isn't that what Hawkmoth wanted? What was this baddies' game?

"Now go, Chat Noir, fulfill your desire."

" _What are you doing?"_ Hawkmoth hissed.

"Do not worry, it is all part of the plan."

" _It had better be."_

Chat Noir's eyes widened ever so slightly as his body began to move on its own. Where was he going? What was happening? And where was Ladybug? His body picked up speed, more than it should have, exerting more than he really had to give. His chest hurt, his limbs were screaming, but there was absolutely nothing he could do for relief. He was now merely an observer, dragged along for this ride regardless of where it took him. He combed the city, helpless to change anything that was going on around him. Crying children, screaming people, hilarity and tragedy engulfed the citizens of Paris.

Finally, there it was, the smoldering remains of the building and standing before it was Ladybug. He was always pleased to see her, but even more so now. Yet, how was he going to tell her that he had been compromised? He began to wrack his brain.

Ladybug turned as Chat Noir came to stand behind her, she jumped slightly at his appearance. "What? No grand entrance?" He said nothing.

Ladybug looked back over the wreckage, "What happened? Who did this?"

Chat remained silent, much to Ladybug's surprise. She side eyed him, "You're awful quiet - what's wrong, cat got your tongue?"

Even her teasing had not baited him and Ladybug frowned. It wasn't like her partner to hold back, in fact, it was quite the opposite. "Alright then, if you've got nothing to say, I think our plan..."

"No." The word came abruptly and felt so foreign on his lips.

"No?" Ladybug was taken aback by the bluntness of the word. "Well, then, what do you sug-"

"It's not safe here, come with me." Chat felt his body move forward, his hand wrapping around her wrist. This involuntary movement was fluid but decided and strong. Ladybug had little time to react before being pulled forward, "What? Where are we going?"

 _You're not the only one who wants to know that!_

"Somewhere safe." Once Ladybug moved to show she was following behind him, he let her go, leading her. She watched his back suspiciously. What was Chat Noir up to? This was all, well, quite unlike him. Was the chaos getting to him? Or even just seeing the wreckage? But it wouldn't be the first time they had experienced either, so why would he act so weird now? Deciding to bide her time, she hurried after him, wondering where exactly he could be leading her to, but she needn't wait long. It didn't take too long for the scenery to become familiar.

"Up here."

Ladybug stopped cold, "Why are we here?"

"Follow me."

"No. Tell me what's going on."

Finally he stopped, turning toward her briefly, "It isn't safe to talk here. There is no one home here, I saw them all leave. I'll explain inside."

Something about his answer set her ill at ease, that mixed with the fact that Chat Noir was now climbing in through Adrien's window. She hesitated - something was wrong, but what? It was obvious he wasn't going to tell her before he was ready, so perhaps it was best to follow along, even if everything inside her was saying not to. Climbing through the window, she stood just inside, feeling unsure about what was happening and only feeling slightly better knowing she had an exit directly at her back.

"Now tell me what's going on! Why are you being so weird?"

"I've wanted to tell you for quite some time."

Ladybug froze, this had taken a bit of a turn. "What do you mean?" She inquired slowly.

"It's torture to hide things, I've had enough of secrets and silence."

Her heart skipped a beat, what was he talking about? "Chat..."

"I'm tired of hiding, from my friends, from my family - from you."

"What are you...?"

"I need you to know who I am. I want you to see _me."_

Ladybug had absolutely no idea where this had come from or why he was doing this now of all times. She took a small step backwards, but he advanced to close the space between them, "Chat, don't..."

"I want you to see." He took hold of her wrist.

Inside, Adrien was railing against everything, clawing at the very insides of his mind trying to stop himself. _No! She doesn't want this!_ But there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop what had been set in motion. He watched the scene playing before him helplessly.

"Stop..."

 _I'm so sorry._

"Plagg, claws in." The faint green glow grew and engulfed, slowly peeling away at Chat Noir and revealing what - who - was left behind. Ladybug struggled against his grip, but he held her secure, holding her there but causing no harm. She quickly closed her eyes as tightly as she could, unsure of what else to do. The only thing she could be sure of was that this was not Chat Noir - not _her_ Chat Noir, anyway. His behavior was too foreign, too out of place. She kicked herself mentally for not stopping this while she still had the chance, for not trusting her gut reaction that something was off.

"We shouldn't! We can't! You know that!"

Thud, thud, thud. Ladybug's heartbeat thundered inside her chest in slow motion. How was she going to get out of this one? Though she knew the window was at her back, could she really make her escape without catching a glimpse of the unmasked person before her? Why, oh why, hadn't she listened to her intuition when she had the chance?

 _I'm so sorry, m'lady. This is all my fault. I'm so, so sorry._

"Look at me."

Ladybug froze. The voice was ever so slightly different from Chat Noir's, yet ridiculously familiar. All of the playful and somewhat outrageous humor was gone, just a calm, warmth remained. There was no threat in his voice at all, nothing to tell her she should be afraid, even if she was terrified of the situation, none-the-less. Who was in front of her? Who was Chat Noir?

To both of their relief, he let her go, taking a step back. He implored again, "Please... look at me."

Swallowing slowly, Ladybug started to comply, her eyes opening ever so slightly before closing shut again. If she knew his indentity, nothing would ever, ever be the same again. Was it worth it? No. No, she shouldn't even entertain such things. Tikki has warned her time and time again that their identities mustn't ever be revealed, even if they wanted them to be. She moved backward, a hand reaching slightly behind to try and find her escape. Inching backward again, she continued to move blindly away.

"Wait...!"

"Ahhh!"

She began to fall backwards, her heels having snagged something in her way. Adrien wasn't sure if he made his body move or if it did it all on its own, but he rushed to catch her before she hit the ground. It was nice to finally do something he actually wanted to again. In her panic, she had accidentally opened her eyes. There she was, looking up with wide eyes into a more than familiar face - the last one, in fact, that she would have ever expected.

X X X X X X

So, there was a change of plans today, so you get this bit earlier than expected - enjoy! Next time: How will She respond to finding out Chat Noir and Adrien are one and the same? Will she believe it? And what happens if Marinette fulfills her own desire? Until next time!


	4. Chapter Four

The tips of Adrien's fingers twitched as he stared down at Ladybug. His lips parted but no words fell from them. His green eyes matched hers, wide and stunned. Though he still felt terrible for what had transpired, that he had been violated but even more so that he had violated a trust between he and his lady - he couldn't help but feel lighter. There she was, looking up at him and finally seeing him for the first time. Seeing him, Adrien Agreste, the guy behind the mask. He held his breath, searching her eyes for any kind of reaction, good or bad.

"You...?" Her voice was small and quiet, betraying little as to her thoughts.

Adrien did not respond. He helped right her but didn't let her go. Did she know him? Was she surprised? Disappointed?

The initial shock began to wear off and she backed away from him. Adrien let her slip from his fingers, rooted to the spot, hurt only slightly by her retreat. The silence was deafening as she continued to stare at him.

 _Ladybug..._

His fingers twitched again, he wanted to desperately reach out for her, to tell her everything was going to be okay, that he promised he would make everything okay. She shook her head, blinking quickly and shifting her gaze to the floor. She backed away again and Adrien made a small movement towards her. Wait. He had done that. Adrien had wanted to move towards her and he had! He tried again, his foot sliding ever so slightly against the floor of his room.

 _I will fix this._

He was regaining his own free will, but not quite fast enough. She turned away from him, moving towards the window.

 _Don't go! Please, not yet!_

But it was too late. Without a second glance back, Ladybug went through the window and was soon out of sight.

"Now you've done it." Plagg hovered beside him, shaking his head gravely which was just about the least helpful thing he could do.

X X X

ADRIEN? Chat Noir was Adrien? Adrien was Chat Noir? Her mind couldn't wrap around it. Maybe it was all an illusion, maybe that was the power of the new akuma they needed to find. Chat hadn't been himself after all, and it wouldn't be the first time an akuma was able to create illusions. But what if it was true? Had the truth been staring her in the face all along?

Marinette didn't have long to ponder as a bus sped past on the street, narrowly missing her. She would have to sort this out later, regardless of how she was feeling. It was time to find the akuma, and fast - but how? The city was in chaos, where did she even start? There was no discernible pattern or trail.

At least running along the rooftops was keeping her mind off things - kind of. She repeatedly tried to shove the image of his face to the back of her mind, but how could she? There was so much history to sort through, so many moments, both with Adrien and Chat Noir. It was hard to believe that the two were one and the same, yet the more the idea settled in the more it seemed to be the most obvious answer, the only logical option. How had she never seen it?

Her mind preoccupied, Ladybug almost completely missed the ledge. Her heart skipped a beat as she scrambled to pull herself back up, taking a moment to stop and recollect herself. "I need to focus on the task at hand... it's no use worrying about things I can't change. Pull yourself together!"

"That's it, dear. Look right here. Soon all of your fears will be gone"

Now that sounded like someone akumatized if she had ever heard one. After a quick search of her surroundings she located him, dropping down into the street below. "Hey! Over here! I think I'm the one you're looking for."

The man turned, his appearance unsettling to her. His smile spread into a grin as he bowed slightly. "Ah, Ladybug. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Hypno - and I am here to set you free."

X X X

"What's wrong?"

Adrien could now open and close his fists, he fought against everything, pushing so hard to make his body obey. "I..."

His tongue felt numb as he tried to make it do as he wished, "Hyp..."

"Hyp?"

 _Come on. I've got to go after her. Time is running out. I've got to warn her! Let's MOVE!_

His feet shuffled slowly towards the window, moving as though he were trudging through something thick and unyielding. Everything hurt now, he felt even more exhausted than before.

So much for that extra hour or two of sleep.

"Plagg..." He swallowed before choking out, "Claws... out."

Plagg obliged, Adrien becoming Chat Noir once again. His alter ego only made things marginally easier. He continued towards the balcony, moving slightly faster with each move. The effects were wearing off, thank everything for that.

 _It must be because I did what I wanted to do - I revealed my secret and now it's over._

His limbs were still heavy as his scaled the railing, hoping that he had enough control back to make that first leap.

 _Well, here goes nothing!_

X X X X X X

Ladybug clutched her yo-yo, holding it at the ready. "I think you've set enough people 'free'. I think it's time you took your own advice!"

Her arm drew back, but his hand was quick. The golden watch swung downwards, stopping Ladybug cold. Back and forth, left and right. "Let go, Ladybug, give in. Let go, and be free."

 _Enough of this, let's end this now - Wait, what? Why - why can't I move?_

Her eyes followed the swinging object no matter how hard she tried to look away. "That's right, good girl, let go."

"Ladybug!"

 _Adrien? No, Chat Noir!_

Though her eyes remained transfixed on the swinging pendulum, she tried to focus on the black figure that had entered her peripheral. Even with the current situation, she felt extremely relieved by of his appearance.

"You leave her alone!"

His staff extended as he closed in on Hypno, swinging as wildly and precisely as he could given his current state. "Get away from her!" Hypno leapt back, parrying Chat's attacks with his watch.

Marinette stood perfectly still as she watched the two men start to duke it out, unable to move into the fray and join her partners side. _What is going on? Why can't I do anything? Chat! Adrien! I can't speak? I can't speak! Help! Help m... wait, what?_

The movement of her arms and legs without willing them to do so was eerie, like some phantom was her puppeteer. She turned and started walking away from the fight, away from Adrien and all of her miraculous responsibilities. "Tikki, spots off." The words were not her own, and yet, there they were all the same. Her hands quickly, deftly, removed her earrings from each ear, slipping them into her purse as she continued down the avenue.

"Marinette? Marinette! Where are you going?" The Panic in Tikki's voice was apparent, but Marinette offered no answer. Though she screamed inside her head, she was no longer in control.

With every passing moment, Adrien's will returned, he moved faster, he grew angrier. Hypno had changed everything - no, Hawkmoth had. It always came back to Hawkmoth. He had caused so much hurt and pain to the ones he loved, he had violated each and every one of them, including himself. He swung again, narrowly missing Hypno.

"I believe your appointment is over, it's time to take my leave. Besides, where did your pretty little friend get off to?"

"Ladybug?" Before he could really think about what he was doing, Adrien had turned his back to Hypno to glance behind at the empty street. "Ladybug!?"

He gritted his teeth and turned with such force he nearly bowled himself over, "What did you do to her!?" But the question fell upon yet another empty street. Panic started to set in. What if he had been too late? What if Hypno had hypnotized her just as he had been?

Adrien's feet couldn't move fast enough. What was Ladybug's greatest desire? What she wanted most?

"Hold tight, m'lady, I'm coming for you."

X X X X X X

Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story, and thank you for the love some of you have shown so far! It means a lot xoxo. I sat down this afternoon and outlined how the rest of the story arch is going to go, so I have eleven total chapters planned - so look forward to that! Next time: What is it that Marinette truly desires? And how will it effect Adrien?


	5. Chapter Five

Marinette strolled through the streets of Paris as though she hadn't a care in the world. She feigned blindness to everything going on around her, leisurely walking towards her destination. Tikki hid again in her purse having given up on trying to persuade Marinette to assume her responsibilities as Ladybug once more. "This isn't good - Marinette, what have you done?" The little Kwami worried to herself.

Finally she came upon the Patisserie, pulling open the door and smiling gently at the small chime. "Hello? Anyone home?"

When there came no response, Marinette turned the lock of the door and turned to sign to say 'Closed'. Up the stairs, into her room, she climbed. Her purse was removed from her shoulder and discarded. Tikki emerged once more, "Marinette, please talk to me."

Marinette offered no reply, but instead moved to her unfinished design, pulling her dress form from the corner to be front and center. She flipped open her sketch book, and started to work. Tikki watched as she worked, lost for words, and Marinette trapped inside could do little to comfort her small friend, let alone do as she asked.

Is this what had happened to Chat Noir? To Adrien? Had he revealed himself against his will? It had to be. What other explanation could there have been for his behavior? For his sudden need to end their secrecy? If she couldn't physically do anything productive, the least she could do was think. To figure out what had happened and how to make sure it didn't happen again.

What had Hypno said? He was there to set her free? He also told her to let go, and he had told the other woman to let go of her fears. His swinging watch - he must have been using hypnosis! But to what end? What was he hypnotizing them to do? Some people were doing dangerous things, some were merely playing. Others were singing or dancing or painting. And Chat - Adrien - he revealed what was probably his biggest secret to her, but only to her. What was she being forced to do? She had removed her miraculous, she had come home, and now she was working on an outfit that she had been dying to finish. What was the common thread?

The thought hit her like a ton of bricks, a cold sweat breaking out. They were all desires, specifically ones that people wouldn't normally act on. Chat Noir didn't want to keep his secret, even though he had not suggested finding out the others identity in what felt like ages. He had said it was torture to keep the secret, was that really how he felt? Though she had wondered about Chat's identity it had never really bothered her not to know. She supposed it had been a fun little game to keep up their little facades with each other. It also lifted the pressure of having to live up to the other's expectations.

Knowing what she did now, it made sense the way Chat felt, especially given that Chat Noir was actually Adrien. The poor guy didn't exactly have a picture perfect home life, and up until the beginning of Lycée he hadn't exactly had much of a social life either. How isolated he must have felt, and probably felt still.

Knowing the the two men in her life were actually the same person started to shift her perceptions of them both. She was finding herself becoming more forgiving of Chat Noir and more harsh on Adrien. As her body went through the motions of fashioning her garment, she shifted through her memories, with both halves of her dear friend. She had shared so much with him, some of which was more than embarrassing given who actually lay behind that black mask.

 _Adrien. Chat Noir is Adrien_.

Marinette repeated it over and over again inside of her head. It still seemed impossible and yet all too probable. The more she thought and remembered, the more she was glad that she hadn't known back in the beginning. How could she have ever functioned or focused? Heck, it wasn't even until much more recently that she was able to be calm and collected around him, even if she still had feelings for him. Marinette had a feeling that Chat Noir's feelings for her would be quite different if she had been the same mess around him as she had been around Adrien.

 _How different Adrien's feelings for me would be._

All at once her thoughts stopped, repeating that single line once again. Chat Noir is Adrien. Every time Chat declared his love for me, his feelings, it was Adrien. The gears in her head began to turn again, working faster and whirring into a frantic pace. All of this time Adrien had been pining for _her_ just as she had been pining for _him._ Her heart swelled for a moment, recalling every single moment that Chat had confessed to her or had shown what affection - suddenly, she felt completely different about these memories. She savored them a moment before descending into feeling absolutely terrible. How cruel she had been to him. How many times had she rejected him? Marinette didn't even bother to try and count.

 _Too many times._

Though, perhaps, it was all for the best. For how would Adrien feel finding out that Ladybug was none other than little Marinette? Surely his affections would alter, just as hers had. In all of this time, Adrien had never regarded her as more than a friend - would finding out her identity change his feelings towards Ladybug? For the briefest of moments she had felt so happy, and yet, now she felt lower than she had in a very long time. Her body continued to sew as she tried again to take back control to no avail. She did not alter what her body was doing, she was not able to speak, but a single tear did fall down her cheek.

X X X

"I don't understand, how could she just disappear?"

Chat Noir perched upon the tall building scanning the surroundings down below. Twilight had fallen, the last moments of daylight were waning fast. Many of Hypno's victims had run the course of their desires and had come back to, seeking shelter from the ones still running amok. The city was much quieter than it had been earlier in the day, with fewer people in the streets, but still, even after hours of searching, Ladybug was no where to be found.

"Where are you..." He couldn't help but worry about her, especially given the circumstances. As terrible as the events of the day had been, he was fairly certain that this was the worst feeling. Not knowing where Ladybug was, or if she was safe, was a million times worse than being stripped of his free will.

Though he had hoped that Ladybug had remained unaffected by Hypno's powers, the longer it took to find her the more unlikely it became. So, if she had been affected, what did Ladybug want most? Or rather, what did the woman underneath want most? Chat Noir found his lack of knowledge on Ladybug increasingly frustrating.

 _This is why we should never have kept this secret. How can I save you if I don't know how to find you?_

Running his hand through his hair he tried to come up with any sort of plan of action, of any way he could think to proceed, but came up blank. With a growl, he gracefully leapt from his perch and hurried into the night. If he had to search every inch of Paris he would.

Chat Noir pounced from roof top to roof top, scanning everywhere, looking for any sign of Ladybug when he happened upon another familiar face instead.

 _Marinette._

She stood out on her balcony, seemingly oblivious to the chaos that had unleashed itself upon the city that day. He dropped in, catching his breath as she turned from the railing to smile at him, "Well, hello again. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

 _Adrien, oh thank goodness!_

"Have you seen Ladybug?" Chat Noir didn't even have the energy to try and be charming. Even so, his bluntness surprised even himself, his worry evident in her words and features.

"No," answered Marinette slowly, "Is she missing?"

I _'m right here! Look at me! I'm right here, Chat. I've been here all along_.

"I can't find her anywhere and I... I don't know where else to look." It killed him to admit it, but he had absolutely no idea what else to do. "I think something bad may have happened to her..."

"Something bad? What kind of something bad?"

He looked at her for a moment before moving to the railing and surveying down below once again, "It's complicated to explain, but... I think she's been, well, I think she might have been hypnotized."

Marinette raised an eyebrow and Chat let out a small half amused laugh, "I know, it sounds crazy... but, I think she might be acting out her greatest desire... and now she's just, she's just gone. Poof. Without a trace."

He let out a dark laugh, trying to find humor but coming up empty handed, he turned away from Marinette to look back out, his hope waning. "Why would she just disappear?"

Marinette frowned, coming to stand beside her friend. Inside she was kicking and screaming, yelling at the top of her lungs, trying anything and everything to get his attention, to make him realize who she was. That he had found her. But she stopped dead as her lips parted and the poisoned words spilled from them, "Maybe - maybe she doesn't want to be a superhero anymore."

 _No. No, Chat - Adrien - that's not true!_

The words hit him like a freight train, knocking all of the air out of his lungs. The pain he felt in that moment was akin to nothing else, sharp and precise, hitting him right where it hurt most and leaving a bitter sting in its wake. It made all too much sense, even if he couldn't bear to think it could be a possibility. How else could she have disappeared so completely?

Adrien bit the inside of his cheek to help keep himself from saying or doing something stupid. But how could he deny the truth of that statement? He had revealed himself to her, and now she didn't want to be his partner anymore? Now she chose to abandon him? It burned more than he could take. "Maybe... Maybe you're... right."

His voice was so quiet, so hurt. Marinette would never forgive herself for this. For all of her teasing, for all of her cheeky remarks, she had never actually wanted to _hurt_ him. Yet, there it was all the same. She had wounded one of the most important people in her life. How could she ever make that right?

 _Adrien..._

"I - I think I had better keep looking."

"That's probably a good idea, I'll let you know if I see anything."

"...Thank you."

Without further ado, he was gone. Marinette stared after him absolutely crushed. But her body went back to its work as though nothing out of the ordinary had transpired.

 _Adrien... I'm so sorry..._

X X X X X X

And there you have it! Chapter Five! Thank you for reading! I am loving all of the feedback, you guys are great! I'm loving all of the theories too! But you'll just have to wait and see what happens next ;). Next time: Two old friends reunite and a plan is hatched. Chapter Six will be much more light hearted. Until then xoxo


	6. Chapter Six

Tikki stared at Marinette's contentedly sleeping form, her expression as serious as the grave. She had made up her mind as to what she should do, but she still didn't exactly like or approve of her plan. There was, however, no other choice. Flying up, she slipped out of the open window and out into the night.

Even at this early hour there were still people out in the streets, but Tikki did her best to avoid their view. Admittedly, this wasn't all too hard seeing how distracted they all were. She flew a little faster, wanting desperately to get this all over and done with. And the sooner the better.

Tikki floated down onto the balcony, hovering at the glass, peeking inside. Where was he? Sleeping no doubt, or stuffing himself with cheese. "Plagg, where are you?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin as the pane of glass inched open. "Well, well, well — breaking the rules, Tikki? I never thought I'd see the day."

Tikki was obviously not amused, "It couldn't be helped, circumstances are dire - you know that."

Plagg gave a small nod and gestured for his fellow Kwami to come in from the night. "Your girl, she got hit by this guy too, huh?"

"I'm afraid so." Tikki lowered her eyes shamefully. "She's removed her miraculous."

Plagg stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide and unblinking, fixated on the other. "Can she still see you?"

"I don't know. I think so, but she won't acknowledge me at all. She's just..."

"It wore off of Adrien, it will wear off her too."

"Hmmm." Tikki wasn't so sure, especially as Adrien's effects had lasted so much shorter than Marinette's.

"Come on, lighten up. They'll figure this out, they always do." Plagg offered her a small fanged smile, "Come on, can I interest you in some Camembert?"

She chuckled lightly, "No thank you, Plagg, you know I never touch the stuff."

"I remember."

Adrien rolled fitfully in his bed, clutching at his pillow as he turned away. They both turned their attention to him. "He's really worried about her, you know." Tikki remained silent. "He searched for her well into the night."

"You haven't told him who she is?"

"No. I know the rules."

"Thank you for that."

"I don't like the rules, but I do know them you know."

Tikki cracked a small smile, "You haven't changed one bit."

"Neither have you." Plagg watched the other Kwami, before glancing back at Adrien who was fitting once again. "It's been too long."

"I know, but the rules dictate..."

"The rules are dumb." He stated playfully.

They would never agree on this point, they never had. Even way back, when the rules were first put into place, they had found themselves on opposite sides of debate. It had been a few hundred years since they had spoken like this, and Plagg feared that if Tikki had her way, it would be a few hundred more before it happened again.

"So, what's the plan?"

"I don't know."

"If we told him who she was..."

"Out of the question. The rules..."

"The rules didn't think something like this would happen. The rules don't apply. Besides, now she knows who he is - shouldn't she return the favor?"

Tikki didn't answer for Plagg wouldn't like the answer. In all the years that had passed, neither had budged an inch. Plagg shook his head, there never was convincing Tikki of anything.

"It's good to see you again."

Tikki agreed silently. The days when she could freely interact with her fellow Kwami had long since passed. Even so, the rules had been put in place to keep them all safe. She knew that, Plagg knew that - they all did.

"Hey, come on, lighten up. It's gonna be okay. I believe in these guys, don't you?"

"Of course I do, but..."

"Ah, ah, ah - no buts!" Plagg swirled around her teasingly in a sort of dance, Tikki turning to face him. "It'll all be okay in the end. You'll see."

Tikki opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted, "Who - who are you?"

Both Kwamis turned to Adrien who was sitting upright in his bed. He looked terrible, only half awake and more worse for wear than anything else. Tikki was silent, unsure of what to say, Plagg moved forward instead, "She's, um..."

But Adrien had already pieced things together in his half awake brain, "Where is Ladybug? Is she alright?" He made a move to get up out of the bed but Plagg rushed to stop him.

"She's safe." Tikki answered quietly.

"Where is she? Please, I need to see her..."

Plagg held up a tiny hand in front of him, "You need to rest. You're no good to Ladybug, or anyone, like this. You should go back to sleep."

Adrien knew Plagg was right, but how could he let this opportunity slip by, "Please... can't you at least tell me where she is...?"

His green eyes implored her, his voice soft and pleading. Tikki's heart broke for him, but there was nothing to be done. She had already bent the rules farther than she was comfortable with, and look where it had gotten her. Unsure what to say that would pacify Adrien, Tikki remained silent, turning instead to Plagg as he spoke up.

"She won't tell you."

"But, why...?"

"The rules..."

Adrien had had enough of the rules. The rules said they couldn't know the others identity, and look where that had gotten them! The rules seemed to hinder things more than help. Frustrated, Adrien ran both hands through his hair. He wanted to yell , to scream, to somehow change her mind - but something told him it would all be in vain. So, instead, he stared between the kwamis helplessly.

"She's at home. I promise she's safe - I can't offer you more than that."

Tikki backed away, not wanting to stay any longer and risk anything more. She nodded her goodbye to Plagg and hurried to make her escape.

"No, wait!" Adrien moved yet again to leave his bed, but Plagg stopped him short.

"You need to rest. We'll figure it out in the morning, there's no use trying to follow her - believe me, I know."

Adrien didn't like this plan, it was too open ended. What if it was too late in the morning? Too late for what? He didn't know, but he could feel the weight of the clock upon his shoulders. Plagg was right, he needed to be on his best game to defeat this villain - but how could even hope to succeed without Ladybug? He couldn't purify the akuma even if he tried. Turning away from Plagg he laid back down on the bed, turning away from the Kwami. Regardless, he would have to try. It could be the only way to get Ladybug back, if she wanted to be back at all.

The thoughts still ran through his head as he tried to sleep. Marinette's suggestion replaying over and over again. Is that really how Ladybug felt? He knew that she had had her doubts in the beginning, but he had thought she was over them. Was he wrong? It made him question everything, all of their interactions.

Was every rejection a rejection of everything - not just him?

Adrien had thought they were just being playful, that they had been friends - but what if she had been serious? What if she had just been going through the motions all this time? He didn't want to believe it, but what other choice did he have?

He closed his eyes, trying to will himself into sleep, trying to bury all of these thoughts. Ladybug haunted him as he drifted back into a restless sleep.

Plagg watched over Adrien, mulling over the entire situation. "Tikki, I sure hope you know what you're doing."

X X X X X X

Sooo, it may not have ended up as light hearted as I intended... but I'm happy with it! I've got nothing else going on today, so I'll probably spend most of it writing :) Next Time: How long will Marinette's effects last? Will she ever come back? And what happens when someone's greatest desire is to get revenge on our heroes? How far will Chat Noir go to protect his lady? Until next time, xoxo


	7. Chapter Seven

The soft morning sun melted in through the window. Marinette stirred gently in her bed, waking slowly from her slumber. Blue eyes fluttered open and she came to stare up at the ceiling. Sleep had been but a brief respite from the situation at hand, though she tried to rise from her bed her body still did not obey her commands. It was torture being held in her mind like a prison, but what could she do to fight it that she hadn't already tried?

Marinette felt so defeated. She was at a complete loss. Though the experience had offered her time to think, there was little else that she could appreciate. This wasn't what she had wanted. Sure, she had wished for a break, for just a day of being herself and nothing more. Though her body thanked her for it, she felt more rested than she had since heavens knew when, everything else was a mess. How could she ever pick up the pieces? How could she ever patch things with Adrien? She felt broken and ashamed.

 _I let this happen. This is all my fault. I should have been more careful._

Eventually her body rose, making its way down stairs and into the kitchen. It fixed itself breakfast and sat down to eat. Marinette soared only a moment to hope that her parents were safe in all of this. They hadn't come home, so who knew what they were up to. Everything that scrolled through her mind was so painful and made her feel so guilty. All of this could have been avoided if she had done things differently.

Even as she ate her breakfast she felt sick to her stomach, her foul mood blanketing everything. She longed to retreat, to just disappear. How long could she go on like this? Marinette felt as though she were going insane. She screamed and fought again, but the room remained absolutely silent as she sat alone.

 _Please, how do I end this?_

X X X

Adrien awoke with a start, his dreams having given way to nightmares. The clock read 10am - so, he had at least gotten a good few hours in, even if the quality of that sleep was questionable. He sat up in his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before hanging his head. He supposed it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Before they met a challenge that they couldn't quite rise to. Even with everything that had come to pass, they had been fairly lucky with how simple the opposition had been up to this point. Sure, they had had their struggles, but they had always managed to win the day. They had always been a team, or they had always found a way to swing things in their favor - but this time... This time felt entirely different. For the first time, Adrien felt truly hopeless. It was a terrible feeling.

Peeling the sheets back, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, holding his head in his hands. "You should get something to eat."

Adrien didn't respond, even if he knew that Plagg, once again was right. However, he had nothing to say to his kwami. What was there to say? Plagg had allowed Ladybug's kwami to slip away without revealing anything. Adrien wondered how often the two had secretly met with each other. What else was Plagg hiding? It seemed all sorts of secrets were being revealed, Adrien mused darkly to himself. What else did Plagg know?

He stood, trying to decide what to do next, but nothing seemed appealing. He did not want to go downstairs and interact with any of the household, that much was certain, but where did that leave him?

Adrien slowly dressed, feeling numb. How was he going to defeat Hypno on his own? What was the trick going to be? Though he wracked his brain, his thoughts just wouldn't comply. Everything felt like sludge. He cursed himself and his short comings as he turned to look himself in the mirror. His shirtless chest revealed all of the battles of the past few weeks and years. Bruises and scars. A map of memories, each one more painful than the last.

Plagg dared not say a word, unsure of how Adrien was handling everything, but sure it wasn't well. He watched silently as Adrien slipped into his remaining clothes, wondering what exactly he was planning, somewhat afraid to ask.

"Plagg," Adrien began after an extended silence, "Claws Out."

X X X

Marinette stitched the hem of the gown mindlessly, applying the intricate beadwork with expert precision. Had this been any other day, and had she created the garment under any other circumstances, she would have been extremely proud of it. However, now she abhorred it.

The tapping on the glass above her made her jump slightly, but it also made her hopes rise. Marinette climbed up to the balcony, coming face to face with Chat Noir, "Good morning. Did you find Ladybug?"

There was no trace of a smile or humor in his face, his reply was simple and short, "No."

"Ah. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

 _Yes, yes it is._

He glanced behind her, "I hate to invite myself in, but can I bother you for some breakfast? I'm starving, and, well, I didn't know where else to go."

"Of course, come in."

Marinette made her way back down to the kitchen while Chat remained in her room. He examined the pictures she had proudly on display. Her family, her friends, and even him. What a good friend Marinette was. So kind and selfless. He couldn't name a person who cared more about her loved ones than she. How lucky he was to have someone like her he could turn to, as Adrien or as Chat Noir. He tore himself away from the image of his own face to admire the gown draped gloriously over the dress form in the center of the room. It was stunning. He had known for quite some time just how talented and creative Marinette was, but this was her best work by far. The fabric was luxurious and dramatic, the details eye catching with a sort of melancholy that Adrien could never find the words to explain. His father may have introduced him to the fashion world, but that didn't mean he had quite the same understanding.

Marinette returned with a plate full of food and held it out for him. He graciously accepted, "Thank you so much."

Chat gestures towards the gown, "Did you make that? It's, well, it's beautiful."

Marinette nodded in response, turning towards her creation. "I'm not sure how I feel about it."

 _I hate it._

"What's it for? Whatever the occasion, I'm sure you'll look amazing."

"Nothing really. It's just a gown."

She didn't turn to look at him, but continued to regard the gown, taking a seat quietly at her desk. Chat ate his plate in silence.

 _Chat - Adrien - look at me. Look at me. Please, look at me. Don't you see it? Can't you see who I am?_

Marinette struggled again against her internal prison. She had to make him look at her, really look at her - but how? Her head turned ever so slightly with the effort.

 _Wait a minute! Did I just...?_

She tried to speak, her lips parting ever so slightly. Yes! She was starting to regain control!

Chat moved next to her at the desk, placing his plate down, glancing at her pictures once again. Marinette moved her head slowly to look up at him, trying desperately to speed the process along. "Well, I had better go - I've got a city to save, and a partner to find, after all. Thanks again, for the food."

 _Wait, Adrien, please! Stay just a while longer! You've already found Ladybug! I'm right here! No, WAIT!_

He paid her no backward glance, and was soon gone from her home. Tikki emerged from her hiding place and stared up after where he had made his exit.

"Ti..." Even just the small whisper was such a struggle. "Ki..."

Her Kwami quickly came to her side, searching the young woman's face for any sign of what she needed, of what she could do to help. She had hoped that Marinette was not lost forever, and she was so relieved to see she was not. "Marinette! What happened?"

Marinette shook her head slowly, trying to indicate how much she was struggling. Her fingers and toes moved slightly as the hypnosis slowly worked itself off. What had happened? Why were the effects wearing off now? What had changed? She wished she knew how long that Chat had been affected, it would be so much easier to judge if she had a few examples of others experiences. He hadn't seemed under the spell any longer, but he still wasn't exactly his normal self either. But was that a result of the hypnosis or revealing himself to her? Or maybe a mixture of everything in between? Without more information she couldn't be sure.

"Tikki... my pur..."

The Kwami didn't even need Marinette to finish the sentence for her to understand exactly what she was asking. Zipping quickly about the room she located the purse and retrieved the earrings. Without a word, she helped Marinette place them back in her ears. "Tikki... spots on..."

She had hoped that becoming Ladybug would help her fight the side effects off quicker, but it didn't seem to be the way. Marinette struggled to her feet. She needed to find Chat - and fast. She needed to apologize, she needed to fix everything. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but she at least needed to try. With each step up the stairs she regained more of her composure. The progress was slow, but progress was progress and after the last twenty-four hours she would take what she could get.

Twenty-four hours!

That was what she had wished for, for one day of being just a normal girl! _And_ , she thought bitterly to herself, _that's exactly what I got._

Ladybug made slow progress across the rooftops, taking things slow as she recovered, not wanting to fall. With each leap she moved ever so slightly faster.

 _I'm coming, Adrien, just - just hold on!_

Now, where was he? Was she about to go on the same wild goose chase that Chat Noir had been on all night? Her mind ran through all of the places that He might have thought to go when she heard a familiar voice down below.

"Yes, that's it. Let go. He wronged you, didn't he? Humiliated you? Let go. Be free. Be free and take your revenge."

"Hey Hypno!"

He turned and searched for the origin of the voice. Staying hidden above the rooftops, she tried her best to keep him within her sights and yet not fully look at him at all. That was all she needed, starting this whole process over again. Once was far more than enough, thank you very much!

"Ladybug - come out, come out wherever you are. It's time for another treatment!"

Laying low, she turned to hide on the roof, out of eye shot. The akuma has to be in his watch, there was no other option really. She tried to go through his outfit by memory. Yes, it had to be in the watch. Ladybug turned to glance down into the street below, but Hypno was gone. Her stomach turned, where did he go? She began to scan her surroundings, but instead of locating her target she caught sight of another form.

"Chat!"

She called out to him, relieved, "Chat!"

His heart leapt at the sound of his name.

 _Ladybug_?

Adrien stopped, turning to see her standing on the rooftop across the way. Relief washed over him. She was back. Ladybug was back. Whatever her desire had been, it had not been quitting her position. It hadn't been abandoning their partnership. "Ladybug!"

Marinette felt hope for the first time in what felt like an eternity. She watched as he leapt hurriedly from rooftop to rooftop towards her. She smiled, never had she been quite so happy to see him. Her expression, however soon turned to confusion as his own changed.

"Ladybug! Look out!"

She ducked just in time to avoid being hit with sign post by none other than Chloé Bourgeois. "Chloé!?"

"You humiliated me! You made me a fool in front of him! In front of everyone!" She swung again, but Chat Noir stopped the plank of wood with his staff. "Chloé, What are you doing?"

"Stay out of this, Chat Noir! This is between me and Ladybug!"

"This isn't what you really want! You love Ladybug!"

Chloé swung at him again. Ladybug moved to intervene but was distracted by the sudden appearance of Hypno, watching the scene with pleasure from the next rooftop over. It took her a moment to react, turning away to call upon her strongest weapon, "Lucky Charm!"

She studied the newly conjured object in her hand, "A pair of magnets?"

What was she going to do with these? She started to search about, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do when she saw something else instead - someone else.

"Nathaniel?"

Marinette couldn't had stopped him if she tried. "Chat!"

She called out trying to warn him, but it was too late. He was too busy trying to subdue Chloé without harming her that he hadn't even noticed Nathaniel's advance.

"This is for Marinette!"

"No!"

The magnets fell from her hands as the pipe collided with Adrien's back. The sound it made was one that Marinette would not soon forget. She watched as he collapsed in slow motion only feet away from her. If she had thought her feet hadn't moved fast enough before, she had known nothing. Scrambling, she made her way to him, taking up his staff and standing protectively over him. Ladybug was not as adept with the staff as Chat, but she could at least fend these attackers off.

"Get away from him!"

Nathaniel had stopped his attack, the pipe falling with a metallic thud as it fell from his hand and hit the roof. Chloé stood still as well, the post still at the ready, eyeing Ladybug visciously. "Back off Chloé!"

"Not until you suffer!"

"Believe me, Chloé, there is nothing you could do to make me suffer more than I already have."

Stealing a quick glance to the other rooftop, Marinette panicked - Hypno was gone! "Chat..."

Kneeling down she kept her eyes on Chloé, who thankfully made no move to attack her. "Are you alright?"

He struggled to sit up, pain obviously written into his every feature, "I've felt worse."

"You used your lucky charm... you haven't got much time. Get out of here, go."

"No. I'm not leaving you here - not like this."

Chat didn't have the energy to argue. She helped him to his feet, casting one last glance back at Chloé who appeared to be rooted to the spot, at least for the moment.

"Come on, Come with me."

For once, luck was on their side as home was not too far away. Ladybug helped him move as quickly as he could, but moving in general had been made difficult. Everything hurt. Chloé hadn't managed to land a blow, but Nathaniel had managed to exacerbate every existing injury with the one strike. If the circumstances were different, he would have been quite impressed.

Blip, blip, blip.

"Not too much farther now."

With every bit of energy occupies simply in keeping himself in motion, Adrien hadn't bothered to note his surroundings or where she was taking him. Oh, but how he looked forward to laying down.

"Just there, one last jump, come on, you can do it."

He stumbled onto the balcony, collapsing with exhaustion. "Go."

Even as his vision became hazy, he could see the faint pink glow begin to surround her. She knelt down, hoping she was ducked down enough so the view was obstructed for anyone else.

"No. It's too late now."

X X X X X X

I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter! I'm hoping to crank out one more today, though I have a feeling this next one is going to be ridiculously long - after all, these two have an awful lot to talk about don't they? Next Time: How will Adrien react to Ladybug's big reveal? How will they ever patch things up? Will their guilty consciences ruin everything? Until next time, xoxo


	8. Chapter Eight

Adrien felt sick and the darkness threatened to consume him. He closed his eyes, maybe if he just rested a little while he would start to feel better. He felt himself slip around the edges of consciousness as Ladybug - no, not Ladybug - helped him to his feet. He could feel himself moving forward, but he was less than half aware of the goings on around him. She helped him inside, setting him down in a chair.

"I'm sorry, I'd put you on the bed, but... well, my room isn't exactly set up for this sort of thing."

His vision swam but he recognized this room. This, this was a room he had been in only a short time ago. This, this was Marinette's room.

 _Marinette?_

"Here, I have an idea. It's not going to be a fun one to fix, but, well, it's the only one I've got."

Adrien struggled to look at her. _Was Marinette Ladybug? Damn it, I can't focus!_

She climbed the ladder up to the loft where her mattress lay, sliding against the wall to wedge herself between it and the sheets. Leaning back, she pushed the mattress off of the loft with her feet, the mattress hitting the floor with a satisfying flop. She climbed back down and righted everything upon her bed again, replacing the pillows to try and make the spot as comfortable for him as she could.

As she turned back towards him he finally caught a clear look at her, his jaw hanging open slightly. Marinette. Ladybug was Marinette. All of this time, she'd been right in front of him.

Now that she had a place to put him, she wasn't sure what to do next. Marinette wrung her hands, trying to think of a way to make herself useful, but she was in too much of a panic to think clearly. "What can I do to help?"

"Plagg... claws in." He choked out.

Chat Noir disappeared once more, leaving Adrien behind yet again. Though she had spent the last day coming to terms with the revelation, she still hadn't truly believed it. Until now. She moved closer, tentatively reached out for him, hesitating. She was unsure what to do. Though she knew he would probably be much more comfortable laying down, was it worth trying to move him from the chair?

Marinette tried not to fuss, but she couldn't help it. He had gotten hurt - really hurt - and she hadn't been able to prevent it. What kind of partner was she?

"I'm going to help you lay down, okay?"

Adrien continued to stare at her as she approached, giving her a weak nod as he attempted to help her move him, but he had hit his wall. Regardless of what he wanted to do, he was down for the count. He would need time to recover from this one.

Marinette helped lower him onto the mattress, helping him so gently. Once his head rested back against the pillow he stared up at her. Of course it was Marinette. Of all of the people it could have been, how could she have been anyone else? Looking back, it should have been obvious.

"Can I get you anything? Water?"

She didn't even wait for his response before disappearing. He couldn't help but laugh lightly as he watched her go. All of the last day, he had been looking for her. He had desperately turned the city upside down, and he had unknowingly found her not once, but twice. He couldn't help but be somewhat amused by the irony of it all. Adrien adjusted slightly, finding it hard to find any sort of position that was more comfortable than the last. Though he found a sort of pleasure in the situation, he also couldn't help but feel embarrassed by it as well. Of all the ways they could have found out each other's identities, this would not have been the way he would have chosen.

Marinette returned with a glass, taking a seat on the floor beside where he lay. "Would you like a drink?"

Adrien looked up at her and finally his eyes focused squarely on her face. She felt his scrutiny and her cheek turned warm and pink. Trying to cut the tension she held out he glass for him, not exactly sure what she expected him to do with it. Shakily, he propped himself up, taking a hold of the out stretched glass, "Thank you."

He took a sip of the water, which was easier said than done as his arm consistently threatened to give out beneath him. Setting the glass down above the head of the mattress, he laid himself back down again, going back to admiring her.

Marinette looked away as she felt her face continue to flush, feeling so incredibly small under his intent gaze. "If you'll let me - I should take a look... at where he hit you."

Was she blushing? What reason did she have to be so embarrassed? Silently, he obliged her, rolling carefully gently onto his side so she could assess the damage done to his back. She glanced back, happy for the moment to be relieved from his inspection. Turning back to him, she scooted closer, carefully reaching for the hem of his shirt. Her fingers snaked underneath the fabric, pulling it gently up, unsure about the entire situation. Slowly she revealed his bare back and all that there was to find there.

Marinette was silent as she took in every mark. He was covered. Bruises, scars, all in various stages of healing. She was absolutely speechless. How long had this been going on? Why hadn't she ever noticed?

 _Adrien, why didn't you ever say anything?_

Her hand extended towards him, reaching for the latest brand - a large angry purple mark across the center of his back, the damage spidered out across his skin. Adrien held his breath as her finger tips made contact with his skin, soft and warm, excruciatingly gentle. Though his embarrassment only grew, he also couldn't help but feel comforted by her touch. She traced the bruise, and the others beside it, etching the image of them into her memory. She would never allow this to happen again. Her touch lingered upon the soft skin, unsure for the moment how exactly to take his pain away.

"Adrien..."

With just his name she said so much. Concern and care was laced throughout. It made him feel exposed in a way he had never felt before. He reached and pulled his shirt back down again, not turning back towards her - unsure if he was ready to face her quite yet.

"I'll be fine." The tone of his voice wasn't even enough to convince himself, but it was enough to get her not to push the issue.

Silence consumed them once more, both unsure exactly how to proceed. Where did they go from here?

"So..."

"So."

"You're Ladybug."

"That's me." She answered quietly.

"I should have guessed." He teased gently.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Adrien was being playful, and yet, he still hadn't turned back to look at her. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of that. Still feeling immensely vulnerable, she moved slightly back away, wanting to give him space and time to recover.

"You should get some rest."

"Yeah, everyone keeps telling me that."

Marinette slowly rose to her feet, backing away. "I'll go - I'll go see if I can find us some food."

Adrien didn't answer her, but he did sneak a glance as she retreated down the stairs into the rest of the house. And when Marinette returned, he was fast asleep.

"I suppose I should just let him rest and keep watch."

"Hey, can we get some camembert and cookies over here?"

Marinette jumped at the sound of the voice, turning to see not only Tikki but another Kwami. "S-sure."

X X X

Adrien slept the afternoon away while Tikki and the Kwami that Marinette was eventually introduced to as Plagg played catch up. Though she was curious what the two Kwamis had to talk about, it seemed rude to intrude on their conversation and so sat at her desk by herself. She rested her head in her hands as she tried to come up with their next plan of action. Bringing Chat Noir along with her was out of the question. After seeing the state he was in, there was no way she could in good conscience allow him out to fight. No, she was going to have to figure out this one on her own.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Marinette turned at the sound of his voice, "You're awake."

He nodded. Though he felt no where near one hundred percent, he felt worlds better after having gotten some quality rest. "You mentioned food earlier - any chance there's some still around? I'm starving."

"Uh, um, yeah." She picked up the plate and stood, coming back to sit beside him on the floor. "There's bread and some fruit - there used to be cheese as well, but I think you can guess where that got off to."

"Plagg?"

"Plagg." Marinette confirmed with a small laugh.

Adrien took up a slice of bread, nibbling at it even though he felt ravenous. The last thing he needed was to make himself sick on top of everything else. Silence descended once more as he ate, neither one quite sure how to address the elephant in the room. He finished another piece of bread, swallowing and finally turning to look at her only to find her already looking at him. They met each other's gaze, holding it for a moment before Marinette quickly turned away.

"I'm sorry." They both managed to make out at almost exactly the same time.

Marinette turned back to him as Adrien laughed. He teased her trying once again to ease the tension, "Should I let you go first? They do say 'ladies first', after all."

Though she did spare a laugh at his joke, her expression turned serious, "Where do I even start? I'm sorry I got us into this mess. I'm sorry I let you worry - I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry that I wished, even for a moment, to take a break from being Ladybug."

Adrien watched her closely, the things he wanted to refute fighting to pass his teeth - but he fought to let her finish. There was no sense in interrupting her.

"I'm sorry that I let you get hurt... that I didn't even know." She choked on the words, turning away from him, "I'm also sorry to disappoint you. That I didn't turn out to be someone more interesting."

The humor was gone from his expression as he watched her finish. He sat a moment in silence, unsure where to even begin. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, and quiet. "First of all, what made you think that I was disappointed in any way?"

Marinette still refused to look at him and he exhaled, trying to find the words to comfort her. "I have cared deeply for both Ladybug and Marinette. How would finding out that two of the people I consider my closest friends are actually the same person change that?"

She gave a short, dark laugh, " 'Friend'. "

Adrien was taken aback, why was Marinette so concerned with that word out of everything? He chose to ignore it for the moment and continued instead, "Its not your fault, and you didn't let me down. You did scare me, but it's my job to worry about my partner - especially when she drops off the face of the planet."

He bumped his shoulder with hers with a small laugh, "Ow."

Marinette couldn't help but crack a small smile as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I can't blame you for wishing you could take a break from all of this - it's a lot. And it's not like you actually wanted to take the break, right?"

"No. I didn't."

The short period of time he had spent without control of his own actions had been torture. Adrien could only imagine how Marinette had felt after an entire day under its effects.

"Its my fault that we're in this mess. If I hadn't... If I hadn't revealed my identity to you... well, things would have gone a lot differently. I'm sorry. I know you didn't..."

The words caught in his throat. He hadn't meant to force it on her, it was the last thing he wanted. Though he hadn't really been in control, he was still the instigator. Not wanting to delve into that whole mess, he cleared his throat and tried to change the subject.

"So, what do you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, did you ever suspect that I was Chat Noir?"

"Honestly? No. Not once. Though there may have been a time where I was afraid you were Hawkmoth."

Adrien made a face, "Really? Whatever gave you that idea?"

Marinette nodded, "Its a long story - but I was so happy when I realized you weren't. I would have been devastated if...". She stopped short, looking up at him bashfully.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm not, huh? So I guess that's a round-about way of saying you're not disappointed it ended up being me."

"Disappointed, No. Surprised, yes."

"Oh?"

"I guess in my head you were never a suspect, you and Chat Noir... are different. It's still a lot to process honestly."

"We're not that different."

"I mean, not entirely. But, still. Chat has done things I would have never pictured Adrien doing."

"Like _what_?" Adrien feigned offense.

"Well, for starters he's a shameless flirt - and his puns are terrible."

"First of all, Adrien's puns are just as bad, and second - ouch! I thought you liked my puns."

"I said they were terrible, I never said I didn't like them."

They both laughed, considering the other. Things were still awkward and new, but at least they were warming up. "Do you really think Chat Noir is that different from Adrien?"

"At first glance, yes. But, after giving it some thought - and I've had plenty of time to think - I'm not quite sure they're as different as I used to believe."

Adrien nodded in understanding. After a moment his expression turned more solemn, "How are you doing? It couldn't have been easy..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. Again she looked away, "I'll be okay."

It wasn't what he had asked and it wasn't necessarily an answer that put his worries at bay. But Adrien didn't want to push her. Marinette pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them and resting her chin.

"So."

"So."

"So, does Chat Noir still feel the same about Ladybug?" As soon as she asked the question Marinette wished she could take it back. Sure, it had been the first thing that came to mind, but what had she been thinking saying it out loud?

"Ah, we're gonna talk about _that_ now, are we?" He grinned sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

Marinette hid her face in her knees, her voice muffled as she replied, "Not if you don't want to - it was a silly question anyway..."

"More than ever."

"What...?"

It took Marinette a moment to really let his answer sink in, "You're still Ladybug, right? Why would my feelings change?"

Her cheeks were bright red yet again and she stumbled through her response, "I just... Y-you, you've never really... you've never really shown _that_ kind of - interest - in me..."

Adrien smiled softly, "I wouldn't say that. It's not as easy to flirt when your face isn't covered with a mask. I admit, I've probably been fixed a bit too much on Ladybug to really flirt with anyone else - but that doesn't mean I haven't noticed _you_."

He shrugged, wincing slightly at the ache in his muscles as he did so, rubbing his shoulder, "Not that it makes any difference. You've made it quite clear you aren't interested - that your heart belongs to someone else."

Marinette peeked over her knees at him. His response sounded playful, but his expression betrayed his melancholy. "I - I wouldn't say _that_."

They met eachothers gaze once again, Marinette feeling more exposed and vulnerable than ever, and Adrien trying to understand her meaning. What did she mean by that? Why would her answer suddenly change? Then, like a switch that had been flipped, he realized.

"It was me. You - you liked _me_?"

Marinette didn't respond, instead she found herself wishing she could disappear into some deep dark hole somewhere far away for the rest of her days.

"All this time?"

She didn't need to respond, her silence was damning and her answer was written all over her face. Adrien couldn't help but laugh. He laughed so hard his chest hurt. Marinette pulled a face. Why - why was he laughing?

"We've both been so blind."

Now that certainly was the truth. She continued to hug her knees closer to her chest, unsure what to say or do next. She had finally admitted to Adrien the one thing she had been trying to tell him for years. The thing Alya and Nino, her parents, the girls from school, just about everyone else on the planet had already figured out. Sure, it hadn't been in so many words - but now Adrien _knew_.

They sat in understanding silence, Adrien not wanting to push anything. Now her reaction had made perfect sense. What a shock it must have been. Even with everything that had transpired over the last two days, he felt happy, even if the moment was fleeting. For the first time he actually had hope that Ladybug, his Ladybug, might actually care for him as he cared for her. That was enough. Far, far, more than enough.

Marinette stifled a yawn. How long had they been talking? The sky was dark outside, she hadn't even noticed until now. "Tired?" Adrien inquired, Marinette nodded.

Watching her a moment more, he then began to remove the blankets from his lap, moving to get up. Marinette shot up to her feet, "Where are you going?"

They stood face to face as he smiled, "I'll take the couch. It's the gentlemanly thing to do."

"But," she inched closer to him, "You're hurt."

"Meh, I'll sleep it off."

They were so close now. He searched her blue eyes. It would be so easy to close the gap between them. Adrien moved towards her ever so slightly, Marinette reacting in kind. They were mere inches away. Both of their hearts beat faster. He leaned closer, and her eyes started to close. Adrien stopped short, quietly murmuring, "Goodnight, Marinette."

Opening her eyes, she stared up at him with a million questions. Adrien, however, answered none. He took a step back, finally peeling his eyes away from her. His body ached with every step, but he had taken up her bed long enough. He took the steps downstairs slowly, making his way out of sight.

"Goodnight."

X X X X X X

Whew! That was a long one! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Next time: Where do we go from here? And how do we defeat Hypno? Until then, xoxo


	9. Chapter Nine

Laying on the mattress on the floor of her room just felt plain strange. It wasn't any less comfortable than its normal position, but it still felt somehow off. Marinette stared up at the ceiling, unable to remain asleep regardless of how many times she drifted in and out. Her mind ran wild she she pulled her blankets right around her.

What had happened? She had been so sure he was going to kiss her, and then, he hadn't. Marinette felt embarrassed and confused. Was he teasing her? It wasn't something she would put past Chat Noir - but Adrien? Then again, perhaps she didn't know him as well as she had thought. Now, with this new knowledge she would have to seemingly relearn everything she thought she already knew. It was a frustrating feeling.

Marinette rolled onto her side, deciding that fairytales were all lies. Relationships and feelings weren't at all that simple. They were an entirely more complicated and dangerous beast than she could have ever imagined. Every storybook she had ever read had taught her nothing but rubbish. She closed her eyes, trying to force herself into sleep, but nothing was working. Marinette pushed herself out of bed, her bare feet lightly padding along the floor. She descended the stairs, down into the main part of the house.

Adrien was sleeping soundly on the couch. Marinette stood and watched him, pulling the blanket she had draped over her shoulders tighter around herself. She was pleased he was finally catching up on some much needed rest. He looked so peaceful. You would never guess what a traumatic few days he had just had by looking at him now. She approached, taking in each gentle feature of his face. _Adrien..._

Marinette couldn't allow him to go back out into the fray. She wouldn't risk his health like that. How hadn't she seen how he was hurting? How had she become so apathetic to his well being? The guilt ate her up inside. How many times had he taken all the punches? More often than not he acted as a tank, seemingly impenetrable, well-armored. She had somehow assumed he was invincible. Suddenly, all at once, the chilling realization hit her that he was not. Adrien was right, they had been blind - and Marinette had been blind to a great many things, this not the least of them. He had protected her all this time - and sure, there had been occasion when their roles reversed, but, more often than not it was him taking care of her, even if her pride balked at the thought. He breathed easy, his chest rising and falling gently in his slumber. Marinette stood resolute that she would never allow any harm to come to him again, not if she could help it.

Watching him just a moment longer, she turned and slowly made her way up the stairs. With each step she became more determined. She was going to take care of Hypno, all on her own. Once in her room she threw aside her blanket and began to undress. She slipped into her everyday clothes. "What's the plan?"

Marinette turned to find both Tikki and Plagg hovering before her. "I'm going to find Hypno. I'm going to finish this like I should have earlier."

"How?"

She slipped on her shoes, "I'm going to take him by surprise. His coat draws you in, but once his watch starts swinging, you're done for. I have to get him before he gets me."

"We should get Adrien..."

"No."

Both kwamis fell silent. "No, he doesn't need to be involved in this. I can do this on my own. We don't need both of us to ambush him."

The looks on their faces were uncomfortable and unsure. "I can do it. He... I can't let him..."

The silence hung between them all. Neither kwami could come up with an argument to stop her. "Alright, Marinette." Tikki came forward, offering her support.

"Thank you. Tikki, spots on."

Marinette became Ladybug again. "Plagg, if Adrien wakes up, keep him distracted."

Plagg did not like this plan, and he didn't give any sign of approval. Marinette either didn't care or didn't notice, she was gone before he could even try and stop her. "I hope you know what you're doing."

There was no hesitation in her step as she leapt from the balcony. With this new resolve she somehow felt stronger, lighter. She seemed to run faster, jump higher. Each step was filled with purpose. Nothing could hold her back anymore. Marinette searched the city as silently as she could, she had to be quick, she had to end this now. It had gone on for long enough. From rooftop, to rooftop, from avenue to avenue. Her determination carried her onward into the night.

X X X

Adrien stirred, coming slowly into the waking world. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes. All of this sleep was doing him worlds of good. He stretched his arms and his back along with them as he reached up. Nathaniel had done quite a number on him. How had he allowed himself to become so distracted? There were so many things on his mind, too many. He felt worn thin. His legs swung over the edge of the couch. Stretching again, he came to stand. It was the early hours of the morning, and the house was quiet and still. "Marinette must still be asleep."

"I don't know about that..."

"Plagg?"

His kwami looked at him guiltily. "I'm not supposed to tell you."

"Tell me _what_?"

"They're not here."

"They left? Where did they go?" Adrien's tone was urgent and Plagg flinched.

"After Hypno."

"What? Why?" Adrien was dumbfounded. Marinette had went after the akuma without him? Why would she do that? Immediately his mind went to every bad thing that could happen. He would have to go after her, he would have to find her. At least this time he knew exactly who he was looking for. "Plagg, claws out!"

X X X

" _Hypno, what is taking so long? You were supposed to be getting me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses. I gave you your powers and I can take them away!_ "

"Patience, Hawkmoth. Good things come to those who wait."

" _Enough with your psychobabble - I'll give you one last chance._ "

X X X

She had him right where she wanted him. It was almost too easy. She stalked him, creeping, along the rooftops, waiting for just the right moment. She whispered, "Lucky charm!" This time, it was only her yoyo. It was all she was going to need. Perfect. She took sight and started to gauge, coming up with her plan off attack. "That's it!"

Pulling her arm back she readied herself for her attack.

"What are you doing? Why did you leave?"

Marinette hesitated, turning back to the sound of his voice, "What? How did you...?" Her breath caught, turning quickly back to where Hypno had been standing only moments before to find him gone. She was furious, turning back to Chat, "Why on earth are you here?"

Her words stung, "How could you leave without me?"

She stood, just staring at him, furious and unsure what exactly to say to him. So many things ran through her head. "Go back home."

"What?"

Marinette turned away, trying to come up with a plan B. She had used her lucky charm again, to no avail. It would only be a matter of time before she changed back. _Damnit._

"Why are you so angry?"

"Because I had him! I was - I was _this_ close!" She turned on the spot, holding up her hand, her thumb and forefinger almost touching to show. "I've used my lucky charm. I'll have to wait. _Again_."

"Don't you mean 'we'?"

"No." She turned away again, "Go home."

Adrien felt like he had been slapped in the face. He stared at her in stunned silence. "We're a team. Have you forgotten that I'm your partner?"

 _Blip, blip, blip._

Marinette scoffed, "Partners don't let their partner get hurt without noticing."

Ladybug melted away, leaving behind the angriest looking Marinette he had ever seen. "Is that what this is all about? Plagg, claws in."

Adrien stood before her again, Plagg and Tikki sharing a glance, unsure of how to help their situation. Marinette couldn't look at him. She had been upset and frustrated with Chat Noir, but she had never been so upset with Adrien. She had never once wanted to fight with him and she felt so strange about it now.

"No."

"What then? Talk to me!"

"Oh, _that's_ funny."

"What's that supposed to mean? You didn't even tell me you were going!" Adrien was exasperated. "What do you want from me? I'm sorry I didn't tell you. What was I supposed to say? You think I liked keeping it from you?"

Marinette rounded on him. "Oh, don't give me that. You've been all for being the hero since the beginning - I'm supposed to believe you weren't trying to martyr yourself?"

"I didn't want you to think you couldn't count on me, that you couldn't trust me - obviously I was right!"

"I did it for _you_! You think I want to see you hurt? You aren't invincible! What...," She faltered, quietening, "What would I do if something were to happen to you?"

Her face softened and Adrien softened in kind, his heart breaking with the look in her eyes. "That's not going to happen."

"But it could."

Adrien took a few steps closer to her, desperately wanting to comfort her but unsure of what she wanted from him.

"It won't"

" _But it could_." She repeated, looking up into his face before turning away again.

Adrien was at a loss as to what to say to her, how to ease her fears. He wasn't sure there was anything he could say. "Marinette..." Her name escaped his lips as barely as whisper.

The silence was broken by her quiet inquiry, her voice unsure and small. "Why didn't you kiss me?"

He felt distressed, searching for the right words. If he said it wrong it could mess everything up, and with everything between them seemingly and precariously hanging in balance, he needed to take every precaution. "I - I don't want to rush things." He swallowed, glad that she wasn't looking at him for he wasn't sure he would be able to get the words out otherwise, "I don't want to ruin anything - especially not before it begins."

Marinette, stared off into the distance, crossing her arms and hugging them to her close. Adrien exhaled, trying to collect the right words once again, "I'm not great at this kind of thing - I would never - I would never forgive myself if I messed it all up."

She didn't respond, she didn't move. He didn't know what more to say, or to do. One wrong move could disrupt everything. He stood just watching her, trying desperately to decide what move to make, which words to say. Was it already too late? He refused to accept that. Adrien started to take a step closer, but stopped. "I'm sorry."

"You should go home, Adrien. _I_ can take care of Hypno. I have a plan."

"You don't need to do this all by yourself."

Marinette did not respond, but she did move farther away from him. She wasn't going to let him anywhere near Hypno - anywhere near danger. She turned the statement over in her mind, weighing the consequences of the words. If it meant keeping him safe, the reward outweighed the risk. _Forgive me._

"I wish - I wish I didn't know your secret. None of this would have happened if..." The words pierced him and Adrien took a step back, he opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, nodding slightly in glum acceptance, "Please - just go away."

Was that it? Was this how it was going to end? Adrien didn't want to believe it, but he was hurting so much he wasn't sure he could trust any words that came out of his mouth now. Her Kwami would need rest, she wasn't going anywhere overly soon. What more harm could he do in giving her space? He regarded her a moment in silence, hoping, wishing that she would quickly take it back, or say it wasn't true. That she would forgive him for what had happened. But it didn't come. She had withdrawn herself from the conversation completely. He backed away again, tearing his eyes away from her, trying to steady his voice, "Be safe. Please."

The words were wrong, he knew they were, but he couldn't say anything more and risk completely breaking down. "Plagg, claws out."

As much as it killed him, he needed to put as much distance between himself and the rooftop as possible. He spared one last glance before making his retreat. Marinette turned after him as he leapt away, tears streaming down her face. It was for the best, but it didn't hurt any less.

 _Please, when this is all over, please forgive me._

X

Next time: Can Ladybug defeat Hypno all on her own? Will Chat Noir actually let her go alone? And even if they do manage to purify the akuma, how will they even begin to fix things between them?


	10. Chapter Ten

"Marinette, are you okay?"

Taking a deep breath, she wiped at her face. "Let's just get you some food and get this over with."

Tikki came to sit sympathetically on her shoulder as Marinette searched for a way to get down from the roof. Making her way down the fire escape she continued to try and justify what she had said, fending off the guilt that threatened to consume her. She didn't have a choice. Even if she hurt him - even if she lost him - at least he would be safe. Oh, how warped and twisted everything had become. She shook the thoughts from her head, repeating to herself that she had done what needed to be done.

Now, where was she going to get Tikki a cookie or two? It wasn't like she could just go home for fear of running into Adrien. After all, she couldn't be entirely sure where he went. It would have been the easiest option, but she would need another idea. Marinette just walked, happy for the forward movement. It felt good, like she was actually making some sort of progress - like she wasn't somehow in the middle of this huge mess. Her feet moved faster, wanting so desperately to move on from all of this. Perhaps, after all was said and done, the effects of Hypno's hypnosis would be forgotten, that it would be like none of this had transpired. Maybe she could go back to believing that Adrien was perfect, and that Chat Noir was hopeless. That she could go back in the dark.

 _But, that's not how it works - is it?_

Marinette strolled right past the entrance to the metro stopping cold. She turned, an idea popping into her head, reaching into her purse she dug around, "Oh, come on, I've got to have some coins in here! Ah ha!"

She clutched the change in her fist as she took the steps two by two down to the platform. If she remembered correctly... yes! A vending machine! Marinette jogged over, stopping and examining its contents. "Cookies... Cookies... Yes! Cookies!"

Inserting the coins she pressed the appropriate buttons and watched as her purchase fell down into the chute. She leaned down, reaching for the package, tearing it open and offering the contents to Tikki, "Eat up, we've got an akuma to catch."

X X X

Adrien had absolutely no idea where he was going, he was just going. He recklessly leapt from roof to roof. The entire conversation played itself out over and over again inside his head. How had everything ended up so wrong? She had been so angry with him. He had never seen her like that. Her pain, her anger, her disappointment - he deserved it all. Why couldn't he have desired something else? Why couldn't he have kept his curiosity in check? He wanted to punch something, to rip something, anything apart. He felt the need to destroy, to take his frustrations out on something for he simply couldn't keep it all in and stay sane. Up, up, he climbed the building, higher and higher. He came to stand at the edge of the roof, his breathing heavy, his limbs screaming. Adrien looked out over Paris and tried to will himself numb. Numb would be better than this.

Turning away from the sheer drop, he stepped down onto the flat roof. "Plagg, claws in."

He let Chat Noir slip away, not wanting to be any part of him for the moment. "What are we doing here?"

"Biding our time."

Plagg, crossed his legs and arms and watched as Adrien began to pace. "What're you gonna do?"

Adrien growled, "I don't know. I don't know what I can do."

Every option he thought up only seemed like it would end badly, for both himself and Marinette. And it wasn't like he could just go after the akuma himself. Though he might be able to destroy the watch he would not be able to purify the akuma afterwards. They all knew how that ended, and it wasn't well. He continued to pace, "She - she can be so impulsive. What made her think she could go after Hypno on her own?"

Plagg knew better than to join this conversation, but he still listened intently, "What if she got herself hypnotized again? Then what?"

Throwing his hands up in frustration he went back over to the edge of the roof, looking down again. "So... how long are you going to wait until you go look for her?"

"...I don't know."

"Well, I probably wouldn't wait tooooo long. If she went after him by herself once - she's probably going to try again."

Would she? Would she really go rushing into danger again without him? Probably. Adrien put his hands on the back of his neck and closed his eyes. She was going to be the death of him, wasn't she? Even if she wound up hating him, he just couldn't allow her to go into this without some sort of backup. He would just hang back, and let her do her thing. There was no need for her to even know he was there, or to step in unless there were some sign of trouble. He knew she'd hate this plan, but he just had to do it.

"Alright, Plagg, claws out!"

X X X

"What do you think Tikki? Ready to finish this?"

Tikki gave her a nod, "Ready when you are Marinette."

Marinette smiled, more than happy to finally put this whole mess behind her and shut the door. "Tikki, spots on!"

 _A deep breath, steel yourself._

With clenched fists and a determined expression she set back into the city. With the light of day it would be harder to stay hidden. It was possibly a better idea to blend in as Marinette, but it had it's disadvantages too. Becoming Ladybug could take away seconds that she didn't have to spare. She had the right idea before, sniff him out, attack him before he even knew what hit him. She would have had him if Adrien hadn't interfered. All of this would have been over. Ladybug came upon the Champs du Mars and stopped. It was an absolute disaster. Up-ended trees, the remains of what must been large fires, and broken stone. She had been so caught up in her own personal problems that she hadn't even really thought about the damage that was being inflicted on the city. They had been tucked away, cozy and self-absorbed. Why did Chat have to be Adrien? All of this wouldn't have been such a problem if he wasn't. He could have been anyone else - literally anyone. This had gone on long enough. She was supposed to protect the city and over the last three days she had done nothing but let it down.

 _No more_.

The anticipation rose the longer she continued her search. Each time she rounded a corner or came over the top of a new block her her nerves were tested. This was getting ridiculous, jumping at shadows! Where was he? Ladybug continued along, but soon she had the distinct feeling she was being watched, that she was being followed. "Now you're just going crazy..."

She needed to relax or else she was going to end up making some stupid mistake. Ladybug touched her yo-yo on her hip to reassure herself before moving on. The search went on and on for what felt like ages and she felt as though she had seen more of the city in that one day than she had in her entire life. Where was he hiding? In not seeing him she had gotten sloppy, rushing more than she should. She had ended up too much in her head, fuming about Adrien, trying to calm herself down, going over and over her plan. She ran right out in front of him. They stood in the street facing one another, her hand coming down to her yo-yo instinctively, shutting her eyes.

Crap. Now what? What was I thinking!?

"Ah, Ladybug - I was wondering what happened to you when you hadn't made our last appointment. You are my favorite patient after all."

"Enough toying with her, Hypno, finish it!"

Did she dare take a peek? Where was he? What was he doing? How had she managed to screw everything up yet again? She tried to listen for him, but for once the city seemed deathly silent. Her heart pounded in her chest, fear seizing her lungs. Someone grabbed her and she yelled out in response. His arm wrapped around, holding her tight, "Ah, ah, ah - don't worry, it'll all be alright. I just want to help you."

He spoke so close to her ear she could feel the warmth of his breath. "I can do more with my hypnosis than set you free. I can release you from all of your chains." She felt him touch her earrings. "Hawkmoth will be quite pleased with these, I should think."

"You won't get away with this!" But some how she seemed so much less threatening with her eyes held tightly shut. He didn't respond with anything more than a laugh as he started to try and remove her earrings. "No!"

Then there came the sound of a scuff, and a metallic thunk followed by a crunch and what sounded like glass. "No!"

Hypno released her and she stumbled forward, confused as to what had just taken place, too afraid to open her eyes quite yet. "Ladybug! The Akuma!"

"What?" She carefully peeked through before staring wide-eyed at the akuma trying to flutter away. "Not so fast!"

Her yo-yo caught and en-capsuled the akuma purifying it before releasing the butterfly, "Bye, bye, little butterfly."

This time it's release wasn't quite as satisfying as it had been before. Though she was relieved as she looked around her to see the city start to return to normal, her memories of the last few days remained. She offered a hand to help the Doctor back up to his feet, "W-what happened?"

"It's alright, everything is going to be okay." He stumbled away and she watched after him. She could feel his eyes on her, intense and hot. She didn't want to dare to look at him, but the longer she didn't the more unbearable his regard became. Finally, she turned her head to uncomfortably look back at him. What did they do now? She had hoped that somehow defeating Hypno would make this part easier. It hadn't. In fact, she felt even more lost than she had before.

She knew she owed him an apology. Several really. But where and how to start? And she should probably thank him for completely ignoring her and coming to her rescue. No words that crossed through her mind as she tried to form her sentences atoned for what she had done to him. Perhaps, she would have to apologize slowly over time, forging their new relationship with the other. Nothing was ever going to be the same from here on out, but she was determined never to let it become this bad again.

"...Thank you." Her eyes cast down, embarrassed.

He moved forward, sure and strong, commanding her attention once again. He took her in his arms and just held her there, an arm across her back, another cradling the back of her head. They said nothing as they stood together. Her body was rigid at first, but she soon melted into him, resting her head against his shoulder. "Let's _not_ do that again. Deal?"

She smiled lightly, "Deal."

Thank you for reading! I'm sad we're getting close to the end - but if you're still enjoying this storyline I may have a second installment in mind :)

Next Time: Fluff. It's going to be fluff. I hope. I don't know, I tend to get a bit angsty, don't I? _


	11. Chapter Eleven

Marinette pulled gently away from his arms, her cheeks as pink as roses. She bashfully kept her eyes on the ground. Yes, she needed to apologize, but in the middle of the street wasn't the best place to do it, and they were starting to draw a crowd. "I should - I should go check on my parents."

"Yeah."

"I - I'll see you later?"

Adrien gave a small nod, "Of course."

With one last glance she went off, leaving him staring after her.

X X X

Marinette was more than relieved to find her parents both safe and sound, if not a little confused, at home. She held them tight and spent the rest of the day socializing with them. She kicked her Dad's butt at their favorite video game and she drooled over her Mother's cooking. Dad went to bed early knowing he had to be up early to start the next day's baking, her Mother sat up in her room as they shared some tea. "Marinette, this dress is beautiful. I dare-say, your best work. What is it for? Do you have some big date I need to know about?"

Marinette blushed, stumbling over her words, "No! It's nothing like that... it - it was just an idea I had... and then I found the perfect fabric and I just..."

Her mother chuckled gently, "I'm just teasing you, Marinette. But this color will look beautiful on you, with your complexion and your hair," Her Mother gently lifted her chin with her hand, "And those eyes. Red is definitely your color."

"Thanks Mom."

"You should try it on, I'd love to see you in it."

"Oh, I don't know..."

Marinette still had hard feelings against the garment, playing with the fabric as it hung on the dress form. "Oh, come on. Indulge me."

Sighing, she gave in. Her Mother didn't ask for much, so it was a small favor. She carefully removed it from the form, moving into her bathroom to change into it. "Ready?"

"Yes!"

Marinette came around the screen, stepping back out into the room, an embarrassed expression on her face. "Oh, Marinette! It's _lovely_! You look just like a princess. Come on now, give us a twirl."

"Mom..."

"Come on! In a dress like that, how can you do anything else?"

Marinette giggled and then gave a twirl, the fabric fanning out about her. Okay, so her Mom was right - that was pretty fun. She made her way over the the mirror and examined her reflection. Wow, she really did look good in the dress. The red fabric hugged her perfectly, the black and gold beading was exquisite. She really had done a great job, a pity it was made the way it had been. Her Mom came up beside her, hugging her arms, resting her head on her daughter's shoulder and observing the reflection.

"I'm so proud of you, Marinette. You're such a special young woman."

Marinette placed a hand over her mother's, "Thanks Mom."

She gave her daughter a quick peck on the cheek, "Alright, I should get to bed. It's been a long day. Goodnight, Marinette."

" 'Night Mom."

She watched her Mom leave the room and gently close the door behind her before turning back to her own reflection. Swinging the fabric slightly she took a small pleasure in it, slowly allowing herself to like the dress again.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound made her jump, turning to the window. She quickly moved to open up the latch and push the pane of glass out to let him in, "You scared me half to death!"

" _Whoa_ , Bugaboo, I think I under-dressed."

"Wha- oh!" Her cheeks flushed again. How in all of two seconds had she completely forgotten what she was wearing. She wrapped her arms around her, trying in vain to cover as much of the gown as possible. "I - um - give me a second, I'll change."

"No, wait." He gently pushed his way into the room, putting his hands on his hips as he rounded her, looking her over. "Here."

Chat took her hand and gently led her towards him, lifting their arms up and giving her a twirl. He gently brought their arms down again, standing close to her, his smile falling somewhat as he looked down at her. " _Wow_."

"Is - is that a good 'wow'?"

He nodded, staring at her a moment more before clearing his throat and glancing away, letting her go, taking a step back. "You... should get changed, though."

"Oh?"

"I'll meet you up on the balcony."

He excited through the window again. She watched after him a moment before going about getting herself out of the dress. Her heart kept jumping, her hands shaking as she slipped into her usual outfit. What did she have to be so nervous about? Sure, she had about a million things to apologize for and she still hadn't come up with the words to do so. And it was only, Adrien, right? Unsurprisingly, that thought didn't make her feel any better. Though, she did take comfort on the fact that he had reassured her that Ladybug, Marinette, it made no difference, he cared for her just the same. She took a deep breath, climbing up into the loft to move up into the balcony. Marinette came through the hatch, closing it quietly behind her. There was no need in her parents discovering her alone with a boy, at night, to make it anymore awkward than it already was.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

Adrien stood there as himself. She had spent some time with Chat up here, on several occasions, but this was the first time she had seen him as himself. It took a moment of getting used to before she went to stand beside him. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah. They don't remember anything that happened, so that's good, I guess. How are you? How is...?"

"I'll live. It still hurts, but luckily I heal pretty quick."

Marinette wasn't sure she believed him, "Please don't keep it from me anymore. I won't promise not to over react - I think we both know that I wouldn't be able to keep it - but maybe I would do better if I knew what was going on."

He looked her over and then nodded, "But that has to go both ways. No more secrets, no more running off alone. We're in this together - okay?"

She nodded in return, looking over at him guiltily, "I'm sor-"

Adrien held a hand up to stop her, "We're _both_ sorry. There's no use beating ourselves up over it."

Marinette stared at him before smiling softly and nodding again. "Yeah - but still. I shouldn't have just shut you out. We're partners, you have a say in this too. I just - I've never felt the way I did when I saw... It just, it changed everything. I've never been so afraid in my life."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's done. There's nothing we can do now - except be honest from here on out."

"Deal."

Adrien smiled down at her with a small laugh, teasing, "Ladybug caring so much for Chat Noir, who would've ever thought?"

Marinette mirrored his smile, "Preposterous."

His hand rose, reaching out to her slowly, gingerly. The back of his knuckles gently caressing her cheek. She blushed again, speechless. Adrien drew back away, letting silence fall between them for a moment before inquiring, "Did you really never have any sort of feelings for Chat Noir?"

"Well, I don't know." She blinked, feeling put on the spot, "I mean, like you, I was probably a bit too focused on Adrien to really consider anyone else. But, if I didn't know you, I don't know. Maybe I would have felt differently."

"Hmmm. You know," He smiled, "I'm just as much Chat Noir as Adrien."

"I know."

"Are you okay with that?" His tone was teasing, but she was sure there was a serious question in there.

Marinette looked up at him before answer, "I mean, yeah. I'm still trying to work that one out, but yeah. It some ways it makes things easier, in others harder."

"I just can't believe my competition this entire time has been myself," he laughed, "I had no idea that you liked me like _that_."

"Are we really going to talk about this...?" Marinette half groaned, wanting to find that deep dark hole again.

"Why not? We did just agree to be honest, didn't we?"

"And there you go, using my own words against me." She sighed, "I can't believe you didn't know. I've acted so silly and awkward around you for so long... what did you think, I was just an awkward person?"

"A little." She made a face, "You also hated me when we first met. I don't know, I thought maybe it was some weird combination of feeling sorry about that, maybe being star struck, or maybe even that we are teenagers. The thought just didn't occur to me. I'm kind of mad it didn't, looking back now it's painfully obvious..."

"Gee, thanks."

"No, it's cute. It's not like I haven't done my fair share of embarrassing things - as both Adrien and Chat Noir."

"We both did. I seem to remember trying to chase both Chlo **é** and Lila away from you... Not my proudest moments if I do say so myself..."

"Yeah, you _do_ tend to be a bit irrational and stubborn."

"Hey, don't help me." She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed.

He smiled at her, leaning back against the railing, "This is nice. I'm so happy I get to finally just talk to you. No akumas, no bad guys, just, hanging out."

"We've done that before."

"You know what I mean." He shot her a look, "As much as I like Plagg, it's not the same as having someone to really talk to and be open with. It's just nice to have someone who understands what I'm going through."

"Yeah. I will give you that."

"Doesn't help that I'm cute either." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Marinette rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle shove, "Is this how it's going to be now?"

"Probably. Complaints, m'lady?"

"Not exactly." She moved closer to him.

"Oh really?"

"Well," she smiled, a blush coming over her cheeks again - hopefully this flirting thing got easier, because this was getting ridiculous, "I guess you _are_ kind of cute."

" ' _Kind of_ '?" He raised his eyebrows again, feigning offense.

"Don't push your luck."

Adrien loved her so much. Their interaction felt as if they had known each other forever, but each moment was fresh and new. He moved off from the railing, stepping in closer to her. Marinette trembled slightly as he drew in close, looking up into his green eyes. The anticipation was killing her. He hung there a moment, dangerously, teasingly close. She whispered, "Are you actually going to kiss me this time...?"

"Maybe," he murmured.

He leaned down, her eyes falling closed once again, as they closed the gap between them. His lips brushed gently against hers, unsure at first, but she met him more than halfway, kissing him back. Marinette reached up to snake her arms up over his shoulders, Adrien's hands gently moved along her waist to come and rest upon her back. Though the kiss was brief, it was everything he had dreamt about and more. He had longed for this day, where he held his lady unmasked. The pulled gently away, resting their foreheads together as they both savored the moment. Marinette could feel just how warm her cheeks were, and could only imagine just how red they appeared, so was glad they were so close he couldn't see. They stood in silence, warm and safe in each other's arms. Everything was sure to be different from here on out. There would be new challenges, but they would face them together. Hawkmoth was still at large, but they were both filled with hope for the future and secure in the fact that whatever came next they would face it together. Hell or high water, they would be by the other's side.

Adrien pulled away only a little to place a kiss gently on Marinette's forehead, before inquiring, "How fast are you going to text Alya about this?"

"Pretty much as soon as you leave."

"Ha, I figured as much. I guess we should come up with an 'official story', huh?"

Marinette hadn't even thought about that, "Yeah - that's probably best."

"So much for no more secrets," he laughed.

"I guess some secrets just can't be helped."

"Guess so."

They both smiled at the other, taking a seat before making up the story of their epic first date night together. They talked late into the night about everything under the sun, Marinette eventually falling sleep on his shoulder. He carried her into her room and tucked her in, planting one last kiss on her forehead.

"Until tomorrow, m'lady."

X X X

Aaaaaand that's it for 'We Go On Pretending'! I have a sequel planned, but it may take me a little bit to get to it. I've been putting off some things in an effort to get this all out while I had it fresh in my mind, so I really need to start checking off my 'to-do' list XD BUT, look forward to "Love Is Not A Victory March", coming soon to a near you!

And to my friend leaving me all of the long reviews, thank you so much! I've enjoyed reading each and every one of them :) It definitely helped keep me motivated to write, so thank you! If you ever want to chat, please PM me! I'd love to hear more of your thoughts and chat 3

Until next time, xoxo


End file.
